Donald Rumsfeld (l) and Afghan President Hamid Karzai during a press conference in Kabul

Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld has made a brief surprise visit to Afghanistan. Mr. Rumsfeld met with the Afghan president, who called for a security deal with the United States.

As Mr. Rumsfeld visited, Afghanistan is facing increased attacks from Islamic militants and a resurgent opium and heroin trade. Afghan President Hamid Karzai is seeking greater military support from the United States and used Mr. Rumsfeld's trip to press his case.

The two discussed expanding the U.S. military's role in Afghanistan's security.

During a joint press conference following their meeting, Mr. Karzai said Afghanistan wants a longer-term relationship with the United States.

"The Afghan people want this relationship to be a sustained economic relationship and political relationship and most importantly of all, a strategic security relationship that would enable Afghanistan to defend itself," he said.

Mr. Karzai said he would submit a formal request to President Bush, but did not say when.